Chaplaincy

Chaplains serve in many different sectors: business, military, hospitals, prisons, recreation and more. They minister to the spiritual, as well as emotional and sometimes physical, needs of people from all faiths. Depending on the field of service, they obtain the following in order to qualify:

Education, usually an M.Div. or other related master's degree.
Ordination completed by a denomination or faith community.
Ecclesiastical endorsement, a process culminating in a legal document stating that the person is spiritually, doctrinally, educationally and professionally qualified. It is for a limited time and for a specific institution. For more information, read "What is an Ecclesiastical Endorsement?"
Certification or specialized training in chaplaincy - Clinical Pastoral Education.

For more information on what a chaplain does and the different fields he or she can serve in, read Just What is Chaplaincy? or How to Become a Military Chaplain.

Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) is a multicultural, multifaith organization devoted to providing education and improving the quality of ministry and pastoral care offered by spiritual caregivers of all faiths through the clinical educational methods of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). ACPE accredits CPE programs. CPE is offered in many kinds of settings: in hospitals and health care including university, children's, and veterans' facilities; in hospices; in psychiatric and community care facilities; in workplace settings; in geriatric and rehabilitation centers; and in congregational and parish-based settings. The ACPE website includes FAQs, job listings and sites for CPE training.

Association of Professional Chaplains (APC) is an interfaith professional pastoral care association of providers of pastoral care endorsed by faith groups to serve persons in physical, spiritual, or mental need in diverse settings throughout the world. APC provides certification and their website includes job listings, among other information.

COMISS Network is a network of professional organizations, institutions, and faith communities that promotes and supports collaboration among its membership and is the collective voice of advocacy to a variety of publics on behalf of the network. Among these ministries are chaplaincies in healthcare facilities, correctional institutions, mental health settings, the armed forces, business settings, industrial settings, pastoral counseling, clinical pastoral education, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. COMISS is an accrediting agency of training programs.